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By Roy Sukdhev, Founder of the Phoenix North Coast Cancer Group
Thursday. Sep 12, 2019

Patient Involvement in NHI

“Patient-centred healthcare is essential to ensure the NHI is a success in this country, and as such, needs to be embraced by the Department of Health to ensure a win-win scenario. The NHI concept could be a panacea for the betterment of the country, provided the masses are going to benefit within the primary health care system. It is also imperative that it be managed by health care leaders, and not politicians, in South Africa, as politicians sometimes tend to have their own point-scoring agendas.

I am also of the considered view that the NHI should not be to the detriment of the patients who can afford private health care. The reality is that while the public health care system is in almost total disarray, the private health care service providers allegedly exploit those on medical aids. The involvement of patients is crucial to ensure that acceptable and appropriate primary care is implemented effectively.

To this end, a partnership consultative forum comprising of key stakeholders and patients’ needs to be initiated. It is only through the voice and actions of patients that we can ensure the NHI in this country is a viable option or else allow everything that is government or politically controlled, to become a disaster.”

Roy Sukdhev, Founder of the Phoenix North Coast Cancer Group, South Africa